More sad boat girls. Also angry boat girls, worried boat girls, and lovestruck boat girls. But mostly sad boat girls. Once again, below is the author’s column for this chapter. You may want to read the chapter itself first.

To Die In June Column #02
Minazuki Theatre Troupe, Part One, Act Two.

Act Two: Love, War, and Revolution

“If women went crazy and stepped into the battlefield, no country could beat them.” – Lily Franky

The stereotype of treating women as weak has been going out of fashion, but woman are strong. They may not be as brave, or have as much strength. Even so, mothers are strong. And maybe they know the thoughts of the ocean and boats. Maybe not, but that’s fine too.

Many men don’t like blood. Maybe it’s because they don’t see it every month? As yin and yang distinguishes the sexes, men who die at sea float with their backs up, whereas women float with their bellies up. So even the sea cares what sex you are? So I say, but sex doesn’t really matter. What’s important is, believing you can give the one you love that all-encompassing mother-like affection!

Speaking of which, I’ve received many comments on the braided narrating girl looking like a boy. (Ever since I put out the originating piece “Umi Yukaba”) Why is that? Is it because she looks heroic? Or is it because war is for men?
Maybe that’s why all the characters have flat chests? (It’s not.) (That’s just my preference.)

Something different, for a change. Just a warning, there’s lots of angst and little love in this story. This is the first of 10 chapters, so hang in there! There might be light at the end of the tunnel!

Below is the author’s original column for this chapter.

To Die In June Column #01
Minazuki Theatre Troupe, Part One, Act One.

Act One: The Mother Ocean, The Woman Boat, The Girl Me

Whether it’s wanting to kill someone
or being in a time when people die,
death makes really good material for a story,
so I set out to draw “a manga where people enjoy dying.” Not that it’s enjoyable.
This grew out of a piece I did for the group exhibition “Seira Fuku Kyouten” (Sailor Uniform Scriptures) held in Osaka, “Umi Yukaba”. I just couldn’t forget about the anachronous girls in uniform.

Like a painter depicting love, death, war, and faith, I felt like I wandered off all of those themes. And so I’ve put all of those into this work. What makes up the core of this story are themes like girlhood and motherhood, birth and loss, and various beliefs.

Much like my previous “La Sagrada Familia”, I put together a squad of 12 girl soldiers. Their names are inspired by suicide weapons and the calendar months. (For example Satsukibara Nae is taken from Satsuki(Naezuki) which means May)
I drew the boat in the middle using a plastic model.

What’s a girl riding in the woman boat on the mother ocean? A girl, that’s all!
Please enjoy this story, of naive girls who haven’t yet discovered themselves, of love and war and revolution. And I would be delighted if you could watch over their battle until the very end.